The sequel to 4A Games' post-apocalyptic shooter Metro 2033 is upon us; does Metro: Last Light gleam with uncanny brightness or has its light been extinguished? Find out inside!

Developer: 4A Games

Publisher: Deep Silver

Release Date: May 15, 2013

Platform: Xbox 360 (Reviewed), PlayStation 3, PC

Genre: FPS, Survival Horror

Rating: M for Mature

MSRP: $59.99 ($49.99 PC)

Metro: Last Light is the sequel to THQ's 2010 game adaptation of Dmitry Glukhovsky's science fiction novel of the same name, and features many of the traditional elements and familiar game mechanics of its predecessor.

4A Games also returns as head development studio to craft the sequel, with Glukhovsky penning the story andplot for Metro: Last Light. Rather than taking place during the next chapter in Glukhovsky's award-winning novel series, Metro 2034, the sequel itself chronicles a timeline of events contained in Metro 2033, but also delivers a completely new experience in terms of plot and story.

Deep Silver's newest chapter in the franchise brings back much of the familiar action-packed first-person shooter elements found in the previous release, while also incorporating that distinct post-apocalyptic flair and gritty style. Metro: Last Light has its fair share of surprising new features, though, including the emphasis on stealthiness, which blends some impressive tactical strategy to the game's raw shoot-em-up action.

The sequel still retains that brutal realism that's suffused with heart-pounding survival horror elements, which are emphasized in encounters with the abominations and atrocities that stalk the volatile surface.

Metro: Last Light goes a long way in reaffirming that haunted, broken atmosphere associated with the wasteland, and capitalizes on the strife and struggles of everyday people–from steely Rangers to children refugees seeking a warm meal and safety from the cold dark Metro tunnels.

The monochrome grays of the surface during winter instill a dreadful feeling within players that's magnified with the general crypt-like, hallowed feel of the area.

From the twisting storyline that chronicles realistic geo-political struggles of a ruined world to the action-packed combat infused with tactical stealth elements, Metro: Last Light is an experience unlike any other, and is truly a journey worth taking.

The game has an assortment of memorable environments and locations, from the subterranean floating station of Venice that's littered with gangsters (and even has its own brothel) to the famed Bolshoi Theater station that puts on nightly shows for civilians, each of the areas enrapture gamers and further immerse them in the signature Metro world.

Metro: Last Light incorporates an incredible atmosphere that adequately portrays the rigors and hardships of a broken world, delivering a masterful rendition of post-apocalyptic life. With a blend of traditional first-person shooter action and a dynamic story arc that encompasses the makeshift powers that rule the ruins of the Metro, the game takes a life of its own and delivers one of the most iconic and memorable campaigns in years.

The political suspense and intrigue is back in full force, adding to the lethality of the world that's now mostly left in ruins, and instead of fighting to survive, the factions find themselves fighting one another in a bout of needless bloodshed that only goes to show that war never changes–even in the hear t of nuclear winter.

Armed with an array of customizable and makeshift weaponry, your wits, and plenty of luck, you must once again step into the role of Artyom and face a horde of unimaginable evils–both men and monster–to uphold the light of hope for a forgotten and dying world. The fate of the Metro rests on your shoulders, and you truly are the Metro's last light…